I HAVE A QUESTION, YOU CAN BE HONEST.......

I have been reading several "older adoption" or just plain adoption sites. Several times this month I have read articles or opinions on open VS closed/sealed adoptions.
Some of the articles & opinions are very strong. I know most any issue regarding adoption bring out very strong feelings & opinions. Opinions are like belly buttons, we all have one. Yours may be different than mine, so it doesn't make it right or wrong.
I've never delved too deep into why someone would choose open vs closed adoption. I guess I always thought it was a matter of how you wanted to raise your family. I KNOW there is the issue of family health history. I KNoW this. As a nurse & an adoptive mother I KNOW this facet of the issue. I've been the one to ask for detailed history of family health, and got" I'm adopted, I don't know" & I've been the one to have to say," I only know the maternal side, she's adopted".
What is your opinion on Open VS Closed or sealed and WHY??
You tell me, then I'll tell you why I have one of both!

NEVER SAY CHEESE......

NEVER TELL THIS BOY TO SAY CHEEEEEESSE, UNLESS YOU MEAN IT!
I don't think he could have smiled any harder if he tried reallllllllllll hard.
He didn't want to put his Easter finery on. Then he didn't want to take it off.
While he was in Sunday school, he walked around with his shirt untucked making sure everyone saw his new dinosaur belt and way too cool tattoo from McD's of the skull & cross bones. I felt real bad about the tattoo, until I saw 50 little girls & 1000 little boys with the same one!
Hope your Easter was as great as ours.

HAPPY EASTER

The corner stone of my faith. and my favorite verse is : He is not HERE, He has risen! I serve a risen Savior. His birth while glorious, and fulfilled the promised Messiah. If that baby boy never went to the cross, would have called 10,000 angels, would have said "Father, these horrible sinning, disgusting people aren't worth it". Who could have blamed Him. Not only did he bear our transgressions, die on a cross, he did not deserve. OUR SAVIOR rose from the grave, triumphant over sin & death, for us. He is Alive. We serve a risen Savior. The Son of the living God! Who loved me that much. Some times I scarcely can wrap my mind around it.

THE CROC* HATER

Let me explain before all you croc* lovin' people get all upset.

I come from the croc' point of view via my job. I knew crocs, when crocs* weren't cool. I know them as the ugly,clunky brown or grey hunks of super plastic that they were. Surgeons & scrub nurses wore them into surgery, well, so, ......well I'll just say it. ( don't be eating anything right now) so that blood and "other" things could be washed off your feet easy, cleanly & with no residue....so to speak. So you see, I associate crocs* with a whole "nother world. other than fashion.

So when they went "main stream" kinda like scrubs, I thought, oh gross, here we go again. If they only knew what "hospital" people thought every time they saw a 3 yr old with crocs* on. I always wanted to say," was it brain surgery or just a hip replacement?" I know, I'm mean like that.

Well, we went to the land of crazy, expensive, excessive mouse. and lo, and behold they had mouse crocs* complete with little mouse head cut outs instead of boring little holes and all. EVEN those little plastic "thingies" were all of the land of mouse.

Then The Boy, saw a pair, so little & cute & blue & expensive. and he CRIED. He loves shoes, and I don't mean loves, I mean BIG PINK FLUFFY HEART LUVVVs shoes, like his mommy, kind of loves shoes! So I had to shell out the money, but stopped at 1 mouse thingie,since they alone were 4.95 & I'm cheap like that. Well The Boy got his shoes, and by the way SLEEPS in them too. Well mommy saw a cute PINK pair and just for fun tried them on, since I never have even put a foot in them.

OHHHHH. MY. GOODNESS. They were so comfy. So I shelled out the money (and that hurt, let me tell you, it did, cause I'm cheap and all) but I only got one mouse thingie :)

So this is my confession. And I will never talk of it again.

I still think the same thing every time I see someone in crocs* HEY, YOU TAKE THOSE THINGS OFF AFTER SURGERY, YOU'LL TRACK GUTS EVERYWHERE! **CRAZY**

BEAUTIFUL QUILT GIVEAWAY

GO VISIT http://oldredbarnco.blogspot.com She is giving away a beautiful handmand quilt.

You will not be disappointed. and you'll find a cool new bloggy place to visit too!

BITS & PIECES OF RANDOM THOUGHTS

It all feels so surreal. David's adoption. He's lived with us since he was 7 months old & now he is 27 months old. So he has always been ours. A piece of paper really isn't going to make any difference, in a heart & head sence anyway. In all things practical it means "they" can't tell me the judge didn't sign off on him going to a family reunion out of state, or you were 2 weeks late getting his check up, can you explain that? And of course his name will change for all things "paper worky". The doctor, daycare, ect and of course the adventure in getting a new SS # will be interesting. We were told our state lags a little behind in getting out those new birth certificates...oh by about 12-14 months! So hopefully the final adoption decree will work.
On another note, the 6 yr old we have, has finally been matched to an adoptive home. We met them this passed weekend, they seem to be wonderful people and a great match for him.
He wanted to go home with them right then and there. He's been with us 8 months, ain't bonding issues wonderful! They do indeed have their work cut out for them on that front.
The poor baby girl (15 months) just sits and waits for something to happen. No case is being worked, no family members are stepping up. I wonder how long it will take to TPR? She's been here 8 mo also.
Sometimes I hate this system & I think it needs to be torn down to the ground and redone. But redone how? I have no idea. I just know if nobody wants or is trying to get a child "out" then that child should be adopted ASAP! I know there are so many people out there waiting to adopt, and just as many kids, babies even, waiting to go to a home that wants them more than anything. And that very thought drives me crazy some days.
We were NEVER in this to adopt. But love happens. I just can't imagine beginning or extending your family thru this system, and the waiting and hoping and the dealing with SW that has to go on. I know how it has slapped us around emotionally, physically and every other ally. My heart goes out to all my bloggy friends who are dealing with this. I can say we will not do the adoption thing again. Mostly because of age. But I am having a hard time deciding if what we do is worth it to keep fostering. When I see what has happened or is happening with our current fost*er kids, (by the system) I just don't know. Am I making a difference or driving my self into the ground for a system that doesn't care?
If ;you are adopting thru the system, we you do it again? or if you are foster parents, how do you deal with the crazy stuff?

IT'S A DATE!

FINALLY!
The Attorney called today. Our final adoption hearing is set for April 15! ...If the finger print cards come back in time. I just have to remember....they haven't had to reschedule one yet......since it started in January.
I think I see a light at the end of that tunnel.